Stepping from behind the drum-kit, Radiohead’s Philip Selway here flexes his frontman ambitions. Four years after his debut solo effort Familial, his sophomore offering opens with a slightly sinister edge. ‘Coming Up For Air’ begins with a collision of electronic beats and expansive synths.
Some of the tunes are markedly Radiohead-esque: ‘Miles Away’ and ‘Ghosts’, for example, wouldn’t be out of place on Kid A or OK Computer. Lyrically, it’s an introspective record and – unsurprisingly considering his day job – a little bleak.
Standouts ‘Let It Go’ and ‘It Will End In Tears’ see Selway injecting a more straightforward melodic approach. They do jar slightly with the atmospheric, layered instrumentation – though not to the point where the mood is irreversibly changed.
A major issue is that there are no surprises. At 38 minutes, the LP doesn’t outstay its welcome. Still, one wonders what might have been.
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